


Your Soul Is In My Keeping

by The_Risen_Phoenix



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Elves, M/M, Soulmates, Time Travel, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 02:29:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Risen_Phoenix/pseuds/The_Risen_Phoenix
Summary: What do you do when you find your soul-mate, only for them to reject you?





	Your Soul Is In My Keeping

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even really know what this is.  
> It's been sitting on my laptop waiting to be written, and this is sort of what happened.  
> I don't even know anymore what goes on in my head....

 

Kurasame was just five years old when he learnt about soul-mates He had been walking through town with his mother when the loud sounds of celebration drew their attention. Glancing over, Kurasame and his mother saw a crowd of people surrounding a man and a woman who were quite clearly a couple, all while patting them on their backs and offering their congratulations.

 

Kurasame's mother was sending a smile towards the happy couple, when he tugged on her sleeve drawing her attention away from them. With a soft, questioning sound, she waited for her son to speak.

 

“Mama,” Kurasame was curious, “why is everybody happy and congratulating those people over there?”

 

“That's because Shirato has found his soul-mate”

 

Cocking his head to the side in enquiry, Kurasame asked again. “Mama what's a soul-mate?”

 

“A soul-mate is a wonderful thing for us vampires Kura bear. As a pure vampire, meaning those of us that are born and not turned, there is a part of our soul that is missing. The part that is missing is carried within another person, and until we find that person, we will never feel complete. But when we find that special person, oh Kura bear, when you find them everything just slots into place and the world becomes an even better place to be.”

 

“Why don't turned vampires have soul-mates?” Kurasame wondered aloud.

 

“Unless they are the soul-mate of a pure vampire, then as a human they are born complete. The Gods did not want us, immortals, to be able to find our mates so easily that we might one day have enough numbers to rise up against them. Humans have such fleeting lifespans that they did not feel that they were a threat and so they were not similarly affected.”

 

Kurasame nodded along in understanding. He might have been young in age, but he was endlessly curious and intelligent; though he knew when to let a subject go for the time being. But that did not mean that he had forgotten about their conversation, just that he would investigate more at a later time.

 

That night as the entire village celebrated, Kurasame noticed that both the newly bonded couple had marks on their skin. They did not match, and to him they had no particular meaning, but he wondered if perhaps they too were a sign of being soul-mates Kurasame noticed that Shirato would often have his nose buried in his mates' hair or neck, scenting her, and he would always seem to have an awareness of where she was even if he was turned away from her.

 

All of these little signs fascinated him. Did he have a soul-mate out there waiting for him already? Had they been born yet, or would he have to wait many years to find them? Were they human or other like him? Would his soul-mate allow Kurasame to turn them so that they would never be parted by death?

 

His thoughts racing through his head at a mile a minute finally tired the poor boy out, and without even noticing it, he fell asleep with a secret smile hovering on his lips. Noticing that her son had dozed off, Aleckta gathered him in her arms and carried him home to bed. Tucking the small boy in under the covers, she stroked the soft skin behind his ear where a mark in the shape of tarot cards lay hidden beneath his indigo hair.

 

“I pray my son, that you will find your soul-mate. I pray that you will not be parted from them, and that you will never know the feeling of pain to lose the part of your soul that had once joined with yours. I ask that the Gods smile down upon you and that they guide you throughout your life.”

 

Aleckta laid a gentle kiss upon Kurasame's head and left the room, making sure to leave the door ajar so that she might hear if he stirred in his sleep.

 

Once in her own room, Aleckta collapsed upon her bed and drew her knees to her chest and sobbed. Gods she missed her mate, Kurasame's father. She felt his absence keenly, especially in moments like these when others celebrated what she herself had lost. Four years ago, when Kurasame was but a babe in arms, her mate had gone missing on a hunting trip. There was a hole in her chest from her despair, but she had not felt as though he were dead. The place where his soul had twined with hers and still felt warm and full, not like the tearing coldness that she had heard about.

 

Belief that he was still alive thrummed through her for many months, but as the years passed by, Aleckta had begun to think perhaps she were so far in denial about her mates' death that she had fooled her body into believing it also. She had a son to care for and raise, she would not succumb to the wasting that often took remaining soul-mates. She would not let her mate down by abandoning their son. She would raise him strong and sure and be there when he found his soul-mate, and then after that, well after that then the wasting could take her and she could rejoin her mate in the afterlife.

 

 

 

In the winter of Kurasame's tenth year, he sat in the living area in front of a roaring fire as he devoured the book before him. Ever since he had learned of soul-mates, Kurasame had had an insatiable thirst for knowledge regarding them. He could not wait until the day that he met his, but until then, he wanted to know as much as he could so that he could identify this person as soon as possible.

 

So far he had learnt that some soul-mates received marks that were unique to their partner to help identify them. For some, they would be able to tell by one of their senses. Smell seemed to be the most common, but sight and touch were rarer. No one had mentioned if they had ever discovered their soul-mate via taste, but the thought of randomly licking people made Kurasame screw his face up in disgust.

 

His mother helped him with his research, though sometimes when she thought he wasn't looking, the sadness that overtook her features made Kurasame want to cry. He wondered sometimes what had happened to his mother's soul-mate, his father, but Aleckta never offered the information and Kurasame was always too afraid to ask.

 

As he turned the page of the well worn book that he was reading, Kurasame felt a strange tugging at his sternum, pulling him towards the window. Trying to ignore the feeling, Kurasame finally gave up when the sensation only grew stronger and more persistent. Standing with a huff, he trotted over to the window hoping to see what it was that was drawing him towards the woods outside.

 

Eyes widening in surprise, Kurasame saw a cloaked figure rooting around in the snow at the base of the trees and pulling up roots. He couldn't see much of the other, not even enough to tell if they were male or female, young or old; all he knew was that the sight of the other made something within him ache with an unfulfilled longing. Running to the door and foregoing his cloak, Kurasame threw open the door to run out to meet this person that he yearned for.

 

The sound of the slamming door startled the figure and they turned towards the house. The only thing that Kurasame could see from beneath the hood of the cloak was a pair of the bluest eyes that Kurasame had ever seen. They widened in shock at the sight of the indigo haired child barrelling towards him, before the person turned around and ran into the woods leaving a trail of footprints behind.

 

Running to catch up with what was surely the most beautiful person that he had ever seen, Kurasame ignored the frantic cries of his mother begging him to return. Surely his mother would understand his need to track down this mysterious person; the person who had disappeared from sight the moment they entered the woods. The footprints were the only way for the excited child to track the other, but those abruptly ended and the trail went cold.

 

Breathing heavily in exertion, Kurasame gulped down lungfuls of air. The faint scent of jasmine and honey hung in the air, though the chill wind was quickly dispelling it. A faint tinge of recognition registered in Kurasame's mind, and he became even more frantic as he searched all over the area looking for this person; his soul-mate.

 

Hours later, tired and freezing, Kurasame gave up searching and curled up at the base of a tree to weep. He had found and then lost his soul-mate all within the space of five minutes and to top it all off he was now hopelessly lost and could not find his way home. Despair settled heavily upon the child as he lay waiting for the ice goddess to take him, eyes slipping closed as exhaustion took it's toll.

 

“Kurasame! Baby answer me! Where are you? Kurasame!” Frantic yelling finally roused Kurasame from his near fatal doze, as he registered his mother's panicked cries.

 

“Here Mama,” Kurasame tried to call back, voice nothing more than a croak. He tried clearing his throat and gathering all of his remaining strength for his next yell.

 

“Mama I'm here!” Though shaky, his voice rang out loudly in the quiet evening. Soon he could hear running footsteps before someone crashed to their knees before him, gathering him close and blanketing him in warmth.

 

“Baby, thank the Gods I found you! Don't ever do that to me again, do you hear? I can't lose you too.” His mother sobbed into his hair as she tucked him close to her and covered him in her cloak.

 

“Found 'em Mama. Was so beautiful, smelt so good. Why'd they have to run away?” Aleckta froze at her son's words.

 

“Found who baby?” She questioned, as she rose from the ground to carry Kurasame back to their house.

 

“My soul-mate.” Kurasame replied in a quiet voice.

 

Aleckta clutched her son closer to her. No! He was too young to have found his soul-mate already. But from what Kurasame seemed to be telling her, this other person had not felt the soul-mate bond as her son had, and had fled, leaving Kurasame heartbroken. Perhaps it was selfish of her, but she was glad that they had not stayed at taken her son away, but she was sure that no matter what happened, they would one day meet again; though hopefully when Kurasame was of mating age.

 

As a consequence of Kurasame's flight after his soul-mate, he ended up coming down with a terrible fever. For over a week he sweated and shivered, mumbling non stop about his soul-mate.

 

“Eyes to rival the Glacian herself, jasmine and honey so sweet on my tongue, the most beautiful being on Eos...”

 

Every day would be a repeat of the last, until finally the fever broke and the mumbling stopped. When Kurasame finally opened his eyes for the first time after his fever had broken, Aleckta could see a void had opened up within her son. As the days passed and he grew strong once again, he no longer held interest in finding out about soul-mates. The books on the book shelves were quietly packed away and put into storage, there were no more questions, and never once did he again mention the person that he saw that day in the woods.

 

 

 

 

Years passed, and Aleckta watched as Kurasame retreated into himself. He no longer sought out interactions with others, indeed many of his friendships suffered because of this, and he no longer freely showed his emotions. It was almost as though the rejection, however unintended, had caused Kurasame to lock a part of himself away from the world to keep from feeling that way ever again.

 

Kurasame grew tall, and strong and handsome, and many a hopeful partner had come to try courting him; but Kurasame turned each and every potential away. He was no longer interested in finding his soul-mate, and if not a soul-mate then what was the point in even having a partner when he was a vampire and could not mate with one who was his mate?

 

At 15 years old, Kurasame was now one of the special few who were given the task of patrolling their borders to ward against invaders and other threats. On one such day as he was passing the woods where his soul-mate had disappeared, a place he normally tried to avoid, he heard a huge splash and then a voice cursing in a language that he didn't understand.

 

Intrigued and cautious, Kurasame slowly ventured forth, carefully withdrawing his sword from it's sheath just in case. Making it to the edge of the area where the cursing was coming from, Kurasame saw what could be mistaken at first glace for a mud monster flailing around in a giant puddle of mud. A quick glance around showed skid marks on the side of a small hill near the puddle, showing just how this unfortunate soul had ended up wet and muddy.

 

Sheathing his sword with a quiet laugh, Kurasame ventured towards the other, intending to offer his help.

 

“Stupid mud. Stupid Kazuza. 'Get me some herbs' he said. 'Not too far, just in the woods' he said. I'm going to wring that stupid scientists' neck when I get a hold of him....”

 

Kurasame could not help the startled bark of laughter that spilled from his mouth at the angry words of the other. Brilliant blue eyes flashed over towards Kurasame, and he couldn't help but gasp in shock. Those eyes. Something about those eyes seemed so familiar. But no, he had never met this person before, he was sure of it. Almost unconsciously, Kurasame tried to subtly sniff the air to try to scent the other boy. Nothing but the smell of mud assaulted his senses, and Kurasame heaved a sigh of relief.

 

Looking the other boy over properly for the first time, Kurasame could not help but laugh again. The poor boy was covered head to toe in mud, even as he tried to wipe his face clean. He looked delicate and small, perhaps Kurasame's age, maybe a touch older. But what really drew Kurasame's eyes were the pointed tips of his ears. An elf! This other boy was an elf! A vampire himself, Kurasame knew that it was silly to be so disbelieving about other creatures, but to him the idea of elves had seemed too fanciful to ever be true.

 

“Are you just going to stare or are you going to help me?” Demanded the other boy with a glare.

 

His voice was gentle and soft, almost like the breeze, though right now a hint of annoyance coated the words. Not that Kurasame could blame him.

 

“Ah of course. My apologies.” Kurasame strode closer to the puddle and offered his hand to the other. He was surprised at the strength of the others' grip as he helped to pull him out, but did not mention it. Somehow he knew that the other boy would not appreciate Kurasame thinking that he would be weak. Pulling a cleaning cloth out of his pocket, Kurasame offered it to the mud caked boy.

 

“Sorry that it is not the cleanest, but it should help you clean your face at least.”

 

Taking the cloth, the other did not seem to overly mind the stains as he wiped vigorously at the mud on his face. When he was done, only a few streaks were left here and there, and Kurasame was struck dumb at his beauty. Smooth creamy skin, the brightest blue eyes he had every seen (except that one time, his mind quickly clamped down on those errant thoughts) and pink lips that pouted slightly. His brows were either a brownish colour, or perhaps that was just the mud sticking and they were paler, and his ears had little rings and clasps all along the sides.

 

“Thanks, er..?”

 

“Oh! Oh, umm yeah my name is K-K-Kurasame.” Gods Kurasame wished that the earth would open up and swallow him whole. Was he so awestruck by the other boy that he could not even get his name out properly?

 

“Thanks Kurasame. My name is Ace.” Ace held out the cloth to return it to Kurasame, but after looking at the muddy cloth thought better of it and shoved it into the waist of his pants instead.

 

“You are welcome Ace. Er do you come around here often? It's just that, umm I am familiar with the area and I er, I haven't seen you around before.” Kurasame blurted out.

 

Kurasame face-palmed. Oh my Gods, that sounded like a really badly worded pick up line. Peeking up at Ace from the corner of his eye, Kurasame could see him smirking slightly. Damn he hadn't missed the implication of the words like Kurasame had hoped.

 

“Oh umm, no. I'm not er, not from here. I'm just here to collect some things for my mentor's apprentice.” Ace replied with a small smile, tugging at his filth caked gloves nervously.

 

Oh man his smile was adorable, Kurasame couldn't help but noticing. Just a small thing, a little upwards quirk to the left of his mouth, eyes crinkling just the slightest. Kurasame could not help but wish that this boy had been one of the people had asked to court him. If it was for Ace, then Kurasame might have accepted, soul-mate or not.

 

“Well I er, I need to get going now. But it was nice to meet you Kurasame.” With a small wave backwards, Ace turned and jogged back up the slope disappearing over the hill.

 

Not wanting the other to leave, Kurasame quickly called out to the other teen as he ran after him. Once he reached the crest of the hill, Kurasame looked frantically around for Ace, but there was no sign of the other boy. Leaning down while catching his breath, Kurasame became aware of an embarrassing problem. Oh gods, he didn't did he? Sending a horrified look towards the front of his pants, Kurasame could confirm that, yes his thoughts on the other boy had produced a reaction.

 

Kurasame was mortified. He had never had such a strong reaction towards someone else, no one else had ever caught his attention. But five minutes in the company of this complete stranger had caused his body to react more strongly than ever before. Standing there panting, for more reasons than one, Kurasame caught the faint scent of honey lingering in the air causing him to freeze. Gods, he both loved and hated that smell.

 

He loved that smell, because it reminded him of his soul-mate. Of that one perfect being who was made for him, that would complete him. And he hated that smell because of his soul-mate. Because he had found them, and they had run away from him. Rejected him.

 

He needed to ask his mother if there was a way that he could block out smells, so that he would never again have to smell that honey sweet jasmine scent again. And well if it stopped him from finding his soul-mate, well they had rejected him already anyway.

 

Trudging back along his set patrol route, Kurasame could not help but hope that he ran into Ace again sometime soon. There were so many things he wanted to find out about the other boy. Where did he live? What was it like being an elf? Did elves have soul-mates too? Were they immortal as well? Questions raced through Kurasame's mind as he finally made his way home, not even noticing the speculative look his mother cast his way. It was only when he reached his bedroom that he stopped abruptly, the sudden illumination of thought crashing into him.

 

Oh. My. God. He, Kurasame had a crush on Ace.

 

 

 

 

Regardless of the hoping and wandering that Kurasame did in order to run into Ace once again, it would be several years before he saw the other boy. By this point in time, Kurasame freshly turned 18, had nearly given up on ever meeting him again. Ace had mentioned that he wasn't from here, so random meetings would be very unlikely. That fact didn't deter the crush that Kurasame was harbouring however.

 

Kurasame had been on his way home from the market in town when he stumbled across the other sitting on the bank of the river bordering the town. At first he thought that his mind might be playing tricks on him, but when Ace turned around with an inquisitive look on his face, Kurasame knew that this was no hallucination for he was even more beautiful than he had remembered.

 

“Ace!” Kurasame exclaimed upon seeing the other.

 

Kurasame felt a little crestfallen when Ace did not seem to recognise him too.

 

“Hello?” Ace responded slowly. “Do, do we know each other?”

 

“It's me Kurasame! We met a few years ago when you fell in a mud puddle collecting things for your mentor.”

 

A brief look of embarrassment crossed Ace's face, but was quickly replaced with a look of recognition.

 

“Oh! Kurasame. I'm sorry that I didn't recognise you before, but that mask of yours is hiding your face.” Ace apologised.

 

“No, no don't apologise. It's totally fine.” It was. Kurasame wasn't disappointed. He wasn't. “It's understandable. I was hoping you might have time to talk now though?”

 

Kurasame felt his heart leap when Ace nodded shyly. Sitting himself down carefully beside the other boy, Kurasame couldn't help but notice that although it had been years since he last saw him, Ace looked like he hadn't aged a single day. Kurasame himself had both grown taller and filled out, muscles honed from training and exercise.

 

“You have very pointy ears and look like and elf. Are you an elf?” Kurasame wanted to die. That is not what he had wanted to say at all.

 

Ace laughed openly at Kurasame's awkwardness.

 

“Yes I am an elf, Kurasame. Thank you for noticing.”

 

Pulling his hand away from his face, Kurasame noticed that Ace was smiling gently at him, not a trace of mockery at all. Seeing that, some of Kurasame's nervousness melted away and the conversation started to flow more smoothly.

 

“So do you live in a tree? Is that a thing that elves do?” Kurasame asked eagerly.

 

More giggles from the adorable blonde at his side before Ace responded. “No I don't live in a tree Kurasame. There are admittedly some very old school traditionalists that feel that we should, but for the most part we live in houses. We do tend to build and live in areas close to or around forests though.”

 

“How about yourself? You don't seem quiet human, but you are definitely not an elf or a were. I can't quiet place what you are.”

 

Kurasame was surprised by this. Most other humans and creatures knew of and could pick out a vampire in under a minute. He wondered how much interaction with other species elves and Ace especially had, if he could not tell what he was.

 

“I am a pure blooded vampire.” Kurasame stated proudly.

 

“Pure blooded?” Ace asked. “And does that mean that you want to drink my blood?” He continued teasingly.

 

“No! I'd never drink from an unwilling donor!” Kurasame exclaimed scandalised. He quickly recovered when he realised that Ace had just been teasing him. Though a small voice at the back of his mind whispered that he wouldn't mind a taste.

 

“Sorry,” Ace chuckled. “I couldn't help myself.”

 

“Ah, no that's, that's fine. I probably shouldn't have overreacted like I did. It's just people tend to have very set ideas about vampires forcing themselves upon victims and draining them, and nothing could be further from the truth.”

 

“As for being pure blooded, it means that I was born a vampire from two vampire parents and not changed.

 

“Oh!” Ace was surprised. He hadn't realised that there was a difference. “Is there a difference between being born and being changed?”

 

“Pure blooded vampires have soul-mates.” Kurasame reluctantly revealed. “A changed vampire is unable to have offspring unless they are the soul-mate of a pure vampire. And a pure vampire is only able to mate with their soul-mate.”

 

“Oh you have soul-mates too!” Ace said surprised. “I'm told that some elves have soul-mates, though I myself have never seen or experienced the phenomenon.”

 

“I met my soul-mate once.” Kurasame confessed quietly. “I was only ten at the time. I tried to call out to them but they ran from me and disappeared. Ever since then I have dreaded that I would never meet them again.”

 

“You don't wish to mate?” Ace asked softly.

 

“No,” Kurasame was immoveable on the subject. “The pain that I felt that time from the rejection is not something that I would ever wish to experience again. Clearly my soul-mate wanted nothing to do with me, so I am now just returning the favour.”

 

Nodding in understanding they moved on from that topic and started to talk more about themselves and the things that they enjoyed.

 

Hours passed and the sun was just about to set, when Ace jumped up with a startled exclamation about needing to get home. He stood quickly, leaving a startled Kurasame still sitting on the river's edge, before he leaned down to embrace the other boy quickly before he turned and fled. If he had looked back once, he would have seen Kurasame slack jawed and what could be seen of his face a bright fiery red as he crossed his legs to help contain his awkward problem.

 

Covering his face with his hands again, Kurasame rose from the ground and started to make his way back home. He hoped that he would be able to meet Ace again soon.

 

 

 

 

The next time they met again, Kurasame once again noticed that the other did not look like he had aged at all even though another couple of years had passed. Wondering suddenly if Ace was a lot older than he looked, Kurasame decided to ask him how old he was.

 

“Ace,” Ace turned to him with an inquisitive look on his face. “How old are you?”

 

Kurasame flushed hotly as Ace laughed gently.

 

“Why Kurasame” Ace began coyly. “Didn't you know that it was rude to ask an elf their age?”

 

“Er, I...I didn't realise. I apologise.” Kurasame stammered, chastised. Ace merely giggled again.

 

“Don't worry Kurasame. I don't really mind. But it is probably best that you don't ask any other elves how old they are if ever you meet any. Some of the older ones can be very touchy about their age.”

 

“Are elves immortal then?” Kurasame wanted to know. He didn't like the idea that one day Ace might cease to exist when he him could possibly live forever.

 

Ace hummed thoughtfully.

 

“Elves aren't immortal as such, but they are extremely long lived. Once we reach the age of maturity at 25 we don't physically change until very late in life.”

 

Kurasame nodded quietly in understanding. Kurasame mused to himself that Ace must be at least 25 then, as over the last 8 years it did not look like he had aged a day.

 

Their talk soon turned to other topics regarding friends and hobbies, and whatever else new that had happened since they had last met. It was only hours later relaxing in his bed reminiscing about their meeting, when he realised that Ace had not answered his question regarding his age.

 

 

 

 

Over the years since meeting Ace, Aleckta had noticed the change in her son. At first it was little things, like showing more emotion and his sense of curiosity returning. He devoured books on the eleven race wanting to know everything that he could about the other boy. She herself had never had the chance to meet the other, but something about these encounters that sparked a sense of caution within her heart.

 

Her son had shown no interest in any other since his soul-mate, but now after a 5 minute meeting with this boy, it was almost as though the old Kurasame had returned to her. She was not going to stop this budding infatuation that she could see developing, but she would keep an eye on the situation and only interfere if it was absolutely necessary.

 

Years passed and although they did not seem to meet often, Aleckta could see that the infatuation and initial lust that her son harboured for the little blonde elf had started to grow into something closer to affection, though she thought wryly the lust still remained. She would not go so far as to say that Kurasame loved the other boy, but she could see that left unchecked, his feelings were likely to head that way.

 

She could only hope and pray that Ace did not break her son's heart. After all, elves were not immortal and she would have plenty of time to hunt him down and make him pay tenfold for any pain that he caused her son.

 

When Kurasame reached twenty five years of age, Aleckta could feel the restlessness within him. He loved his home and he loved being able to keep everyone safe, but the need to leave and explore and find himself grew stronger every year he remained. Aleckta was unsure if the only reason that he yet remained was due to the fact that were he to leave he would not know if he would ever again be able to meet his elven friend again, but she also knew that if he did not go that Ace would feel terrible for holding him back.

 

She sat her son down to have a talk to when he returned from his patrol. At first he tried to deny that he had been feeling wanderlust and restlessness, tried to pretend that the only thing holding him to this place was the hope that he would get to see Ace again. Aleckta stared him down with a disapproving frown on her face.

 

“Kurasame, do not take me for a fool. I am many hundreds of years older than you are and your mother besides. You are a terrible liar and I can see the truth as bright as day. If leaving Ace pains you so much, talk to him. Ask him to come with you, or arrange to meet him along your travels. But do not let your life pass by because you are not willing to make the first move.”

 

Blushing brightly at being called out so harshly by his own mother, Kurasame mumbled that he would talk to the other when he saw him next. Satisfied with their talk, Aleckta let go the fact that it could possibly be years before they saw each other again. What were a few years to an immortal being after all?

 

 

 

 

Luckily for both Kurasame and his mother's sanity, it was not years but merely weeks before Kurasame managed to stumble across Ace once again. Surprisingly it was not in the woods, but in a town a few hours away from his own that he saw the other man haggling with a vendor for what looked like.......fish eyes?

 

Pulling a face at what the other was buying, Kurasame approached Ace from behind. He placed a hand on Ace's shoulder ready to greet him, when Ace let out a shriek and turned around a set of tarot cards in his hands. Holding his hands in the universal sign of surrender, Kurasame couldn't help but laugh at the look on Ace's face.

 

Blonde hair flying everywhere from when he spun around had stuck to his lashes and mouth. Eyes opened wide in alarm, lips parted from his shriek. Recognition flooded Ace's face as he took in Kurasame's masked visage before him, and shock was quickly replaced by embarrassment.

 

“Don't do that to you me you horrible fiend!” He exclaimed as he banished the cards in his had in a small shower of sparkles, as Kurasame bent over laughing.

 

Briefly, Kurasame wondered about where they went, and if it was an elvish brand of magic, or if it was just some other magic that Ace had learned that he himself had not. He made a mental note to ask about it later when they weren't around so many other people.

 

The shopkeeper was trying and failing to contain the smile on his face, as he handed Ace his purchases. Thanking the man, Ace quickly gathered his things, grabbed Kurasame by the hand and all but dragged him outside of town. A tingle of electricity shot up Kurasame's hand from the touch, but the feeling was dulled by the gloves that both wore.

 

Pulling Kurasame back into the nearby woods, Ace made sure to walk Kurasame under every low hanging branch and tree in revenge for scaring and then laughing at him earlier. By the time they made it to a clearing by the river, Kurasame was breathless with laughter and his hair filled with twigs and leaves. Sitting down upon the grassy floor, Ace tugged Kurasame to sit beside him.

 

“So what are you doing here then? I don't think I've ever seen you in a town before.” Kurasame asked curious.

 

“Well obviously I go into towns to buy things Kurasame. But I am unable to get these particular items from home as they are not available there.” Ace looked over at Kurasame searchingly. “But that's not really what you wanted to talk about is it?

 

Heaving a nervous sigh, Kurasame shook his head slowly.

 

“I...well I am leaving.” Ace sucked in a surprised breath. “I want to explore and see the world away from here. I want to find others like us out there, and I want to know who I am without the safety net of family and friends. Be able to stand on my own two feet and just be me. Not the me that people think I should be. And..” Here Kurasame hesitated.

 

“And I would like it if you came with me.”

 

Ace looked at him wide eyed and panicked, before his eyes dropped away and he turned his head towards the river once more. Kurasame could feel his heart drop. That was not the actions of someone who want to accompany him on his travels.

 

“Kurasame...” Ace began tentatively. “I...I can't come with you.”

 

Kurasame rose from the ground, ready to leave. He had been rejected by his soul-mate, there was no need for the same to happen again with this boy.

 

“No wait!” Ace scrambled up, frantically reaching out for the other man. “It's not that I don't want to go with you, but that I _can't_.”

 

Kurasame paused mid-stride to listen.

 

“I can't be away from home for long periods of time. I have to go back, I'm not meant to be here, to be away. I wish that I could go with you, but I just can't. I'm sorry.”

 

Kurasame turned around to see that Ace was standing where he had left him, hands twisted into knots as he nervously waited for him to respond.

 

“Oh Ace, I'm so sorry that I'm such an idiot. My mother even told me that you might not be able to come. She suggested that perhaps we could arrange times and places to meet instead.”

 

At the sound of that, Ace looked thoughtfully at him.

 

“I could probably do that. If you wrote down times, places, dates for me.”

 

Overjoyed, Kurasame reached for the smaller man and embraced him.

 

“Yeah, yeah I can do that for you. I don't want to stop seeing you.”

 

Ace hugged him back tightly.

 

“Neither do I.” He mumbled into the material of Kurasame's shirt.

 

 

 

 

The next couple of hundred years passed this way. Kurasame would write down the time, place and date of the place that they would meet and hand it to Ace as they parted ways. Kurasame so desperately wanted to give the elf a kiss goodbye sometimes, that it physically hurt to hold himself back.

 

For Kurasame the urge to mate with the other man was at odds with everything that he knew about pure blooded vampires only being able to mate with their soul-mates, but perhaps that only related to having children? Maybe that was why his body had always had such a visceral reaction to the other man's proximity?

 

And as for Ace.....well the other had never shown any signs of wanting more from Kurasame besides his friendship. Kurasame's heart had leapt early on in their meet-ups when Ace was more physically affectionate, touching his arm, giving hugs and chaste kisses on the cheeks and head and cuddling into his side. He had thought that this might be a sign that Ace might be looking for more from him, but over time as he watched Ace interact with others he had noticed that Ace was just a very affectionate person and his heart had plummeted.

 

After that discovery, Kurasame had made sure to make their next meeting as late as he could without alerting the other to his turmoil. Ace had looked at the paper and rose a brow in question, but Kurasame had avoided his eyes and told him that he was going to be busy for the next little while. Ace had accepted this reason, but a part of Kurasame felt terrible about lying to his friend.

 

It wasn't Ace's fault that Kurasame had stupidly fallen for him. He had never offered more than his hand in friendship, and he had not lead him on either. That was all on Kurasame. Kurasame spent the next few months berating himself and telling himself to get over this infatuation, he also missed Ace fiercely and regretted putting their meeting off for months.

 

Things changed the next time they met though. The weather was hot and for once Ace was not wearing his gloves, Kurasame too had stripped off his gloves and shoes as they kicked their feet in the hidden lake that they had discovered one day. They had been chatting quietly about whatever came to mind when Ace gasped in delight.

 

Cupping his hands gently, a tiny bird fluttered down to land in his outstretched hands. With the brightest smile that he had ever seen, Ace offered the bird to Kurasame to hold. Their hands touched briefly as he transferred the bird to Kurasame's waiting hands, and a strong jolt of electricity shot from the point of contact up their arms and into their chests.

 

Ace's hands jerked, causing the little bird to take flight, though neither noticed or paid attention. Kurasame looked shocked at the jolt, and laughed lightly teasing Ace about somehow managing to give him an electric shock all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. Ace however looked shocked, terrified. Devastated.

 

Kurasame's laughter came to an abrupt stop. He started to reach out towards the other, to offer comfort or support, but Ace threw himself backwards and away from him. Hurt, Kurasame watched in silence as Ace leapt to his feet and gathered his belongings. Ace grabbed his gloves and tugged them on before he even thought about looking for his shoes, all the while muttering under his breath.

 

Holding his shoes before him like a shield, Ace turned to the hurt and confused Kurasame who was still sitting where they had been.

 

“I'm sorry Kurasame,” Ace looked torn as he started to back away from the man. “I need to go now. I...I have.....I....I just need to go. I'm sorry.”

 

With that Ace turned to flee, before Kurasame's shout made him pause.

 

“Wait! What about our next meet up?”

 

Ace tensed at the words, and a sense of foreboding filled Kurasame. His next words however made the knot of tension release minutely.

 

“Two weeks at midday. We'll meet here ok?”

 

He barely waited to hear Kurasame agree before he had disappeared from view and Kurasame was left alone wondering what had happened.

 

As the date of their next meet-up approached, Kurasame could not help but feel nervous. The feeling of dread that he had carried around since their last meeting sat heavily in his gut, leaving him feeling increasingly nauseated. He stood waiting for Ace to arrive at the appointed time and place, and even as midday came and passed, still he did not leave.

 

At two o'clock the sound of approaching footsteps raised Kurasame's spirits, until the person stepped into view. Instead of Ace standing there, a hooded stranger stood awkwardly holding a letter. Seeing Kurasame standing there, the stranger approached slowly. Something about this person seemed familiar to Kurasame, and he watched in silence as the other seemed to be studying him from beneath his hood.

 

“You Kurasame?” The stranger barked out, and at Kurasame's nod the man walked closer and handed the letter to him

 

“Where is Ace?” Kurasame asked dully, hope crushed and ground into the dirt.

 

“Not here.” The stranger said bluntly. “Told me to give you this letter though, like I was his dammed errand boy and not his mentor.”

 

Kurasame startled at the information. So this was Ace's infamous mentor. The one that was always getting him to collect materials for him. Before he could open his mouth to ask questions though, the other cut him off.

 

“Don't have time to talk, you've got your letter and probably any answers to questions that I don't want to know.”  
  
And with that the stranger turned and left as abruptly as he arrived.

 

Left standing alone once again, Kurasame's attention turned towards the letter he held in his hand. On the front, his name was written in neat letters but offered not other clues as to the contents within. Dread filling him, Kurasame opened the letter and his heart filled with sadness at what was written inside.

 

_Dear Kurasame,_

 

_I'm sorry, so damn sorry. ~~Please forgive me.~~_

 

_I know you are wondering why I didn't come today, and after sitting here for hours trying to work out what I was going to do, the only conclusion that I can come up with is because ~~I am afraid~~ I'm a coward._

_The last time we met, certain things came to my attention, and I found that I could not ~~bear to~~ face you again._

 

~~_I hope that one day you will be able to forgive me for this._ ~~

 

_This will be the last time I make contact with you ~~it hurts too much.~~_

 

_I hope that one day you will find happiness with your mate, ~~even if it isn't me I wish it had been me~~ and I wish you all the best._

 

_Farewell,_

 

~~_Your friend_ ~~

_Ace._

 

 

Kurasame read the letter that Ace had left for him, and then he read it again. It did not surprise him when he realised that he was crumpling the letter up in his hands, as he was filled with both despair and rage. That letter had answered nothing! Nothing! ' _Certain things came to his attention_ ', what things?

 

The longer Kurasame stood there, the more his sense of abandonment grew. Not only had his soul-mate rejected him, but now so had Ace – the one person that he had been willing to open himself up to. And the fact that they had spent so many years together, made this desertion all the worse. With stooped shoulders and no longer containing his once great wanderlust, Kurasame returned to the place where he grew up and the only one that had never abandoned him, his mother.

 

 

Aleckta was alarmed when Kurasame had returned home, downtrodden and burdened with a sadness that rivalled when his soul-mate had fled. She had moved to embrace her son tightly, holding Kurasame to her chest as he broke down crying softly asking ' _why? Why did you leave?'._

 

It took many hours for Kurasame to finally settle down and tell Aleckta what had happened, pulling a creased and crumple letter from his pocket and handing it to her to read. Reading the words on the page, Aleckta felt both sadness and rage. She could feel how this Ace had not wanted to part from her son, but he still had and she could not forgive him for breaking her son's heart again.

 

Something about this situation also struck Aleckta as odd. The emotions and feelings that Kurasame was displaying regarding the other was reminiscent of how soul-mates affected each other, however she had never heard him mention that Ace was his soul-mate.

 

Not that Kurasame would have been able to scent the other while he had been wearing his mask, but if she remembered correctly they had met once before he had started to wear the scent blocking mask. Perhaps her assumptions that they might possibly be soul-mates was wrong, after all she wasn't even sure if vampires and elves could even be soul-mates.

 

Kurasame once more settled into his mother's house and took up his old job of patrolling and protecting the town, though it had grown greatly from the last time he had lived there. The old residents were happy to welcome him home, though many commented quietly on how sad and lonely he appeared these days, how changed he was.

 

The Kurasame that Ace had managed to bring back disappeared almost overnight. Besides herself, Kurasame, although polite, allowed no one else to get close to him anymore. Friends soon turned into acquaintances, and although the interested looks turned his way persisted, no one dared try to approach him after he had brutally and coldly turned down the last person to try.

 

What alarmed Aleckta the most though, was that Kurasame had started to show signs of the Wasting. This should only have happened if his mate had died, or if he had been rejected. Kurasame had not mentioned anything about a tearing feeling in his chest, though the fact that they had not formally bonded might have something to do with the lack of feeling, but also not having been formally bonded Kurasame should not have been experiencing these symptoms either. At least not to the degree that he currently was.

 

So that left her with the thought that Kurasame had been rejected by his mate. The only person that had recently left Kurasame's life in an abrupt manner recently was Ace, so Aleckta vowed to track the man down and drag him back if she had to. She would not allow her child to waste away to nothing.

 

Informing Kurasame that she was taking him on an exploration trip, Aleckta packed up their house and dragged her son in her wake. Years passed quickly as Aleckta searched, Kurasame none the wiser to her ultimate plans, but she could find neither hide nor hair of the elusive elf. Perhaps the stories were true that they did not inhabit towns? Another decade passed as Aleckta combed the forests around the world, searching. And still, nothing.

 

By the time fifty years had passed Kurasame was but a ghost of his former self – it was all Aleckta could do to get him to feed these days. As she was frantically trying to think of another place to look, Kurasame's quiet voice, rough with disuse broke the silence.

 

“Mother.”

 

Aleckta could have cried. How long had it been since Kurasame had spoken last? Ten years? Twenty?

 

“Mother, I just want to go home. Please, no more searching. Ace is not going to come back to me. So please, let's just go home. I want to rest.”

 

Those words caused tears to flood Aleckta's eyes. So Kurasame had known what she had been doing all this time, perhaps he even had held out some hope of reuniting with Ace in the beginning, but now he was tired. Aleckta knew that he would not last long once they went home. Unlike herself, Kurasame had no other ties to this world. The need to take care of their child was enough to keep a grieving parent from wasting away, but a parent was not enough to anchor a child once the wasting took them.

 

With a heavy heart, she turned and led them home. An hour before they reached their home, Aleckta noticed that they was a new building nestled just within the boundaries of the forest. A tugging feeling drew her towards the building, though Kurasame stared dully towards it before turning to shuffle onwards. There was something there that she needed to see, Aleckta could feel it in her bones, so against her better judgement she waved her son on and hurried towards the building.

 

It looked like a.....school? Students bustled about the grounds, a few startled her as they seemingly popped into existence out of thin air, others disappearing the same way. Something about this niggled at the back of her mind, but all thought fell away when she caught sight of a hooded figure walking beside a sad blond elf.

 

Although he was covered head to toe by his cloak, there was no way that Aleckta could ever forget the sight of her mate. A loud sob tore from her throat as she called out to him.

 

“Shujin!”

 

The hooded man turned towards the sound of his name being called, the sight of a beautiful indigo haired vampire. He knew that face, those eyes, her voice; and he raced forwards just as he knees gave way and caught her before she could tumble to the ground. The sad elf watched as his mentor held this woman, who looked very familiar, to his chest as though he would never let her go again. They were both crying at this point, a mess of sobs and half spoken words tumbling over each other.

 

“Never believed you were dead....”

 

“Tried to get back to you, but the time rift closed......”

 

“Missed you so....”

 

“Love you, won't ever leave again..”  
  


“Finally got here and you were _gone...._ ”

 

“Our son is wasting away...”

 

Shujin stopped talking shocked at Aleckta's words. Kurasame was suffering from the wasting? He had seemed fine when he had delivered that letter to him a few weeks prior, though with the time jumps it was probably more like some sixty or so years ago now. He cast a speculative look towards his apprentice who had also been showing signs of the Wasting since that moment, but pushed it aside for the moment to focus on his own reunion with his mate.

 

A quiet cough drew their attention once again to the elf beside them, and when he noticed he had their attention he suggested that Shujin may wish to retire to his quarters with his mate as he was sure they would like some privacy, their experiments could wait for another time. Neither Shujin nor Aleckta missed the look of despair that crossed his face at the mention of a mate.

 

With a nod and a quiet 'thanks', Shujin led his mate back to his quarters. Once there, the longing and the passion that had long stayed dormant, overflowed and any talk was put off until they had sated themselves.

 

Later, Shujin explained what had happened to him and why he had been unable to return to Aleckta and Kurasame. He had been experimenting with a new theory of teleportation and had managed to open a portal, stupidly stepping through, he had ended up over two hundred years into the future. Before he had been able to retreat back home, the portal had become unstable and collapsed upon itself stranding him here. That had been nearly forty years ago, and he had been trying to recreate the spell to take him home.

 

Helping build and develop this school, so close to his old home, that he had found abandoned and empty, he had managed to work out how to open the portals to any time that he had wanted. However he had soon discovered that unlike the first that he had created, after a few hours, the longest time had been five hours, there would be a tugging feeling in the chest and they would return to this time.

 

Aleckta cried and beat at her mate with her fists, yelling that instead of wasting the last forty years trying to go back to the past he should have just come straight home to them. Shujin, abashed, agreed that in hindsight that would have definitely been the smarter option, though his research had helped the school make huge strides towards advancement.

 

Alarming Shujin slightly, Aleckta threw herself from the bed and started to dress haphazardly. Worried that his mate was angry with him, he tried to hold her but she brushed his restraining hands away.

 

“Stop that you silly man! You have a son you need to meet! You have missed out on nearly all of his life, and...” here she paused, as though unwilling to go on.

 

“And I fear he will not last long now that we are home, especially as I have reunited with my mate as well.”

 

Shujin recalled the last memory that he had of his son. Tall, taller than himself surely, with indigo hair the same shade as his mother. Eyes a mix of blue and green like his own, though they had looked sad and downcast at the time. His body had looked muscled and honed from fighting, lean and strong. One thing that he remembered that had confused him though, had been a mask that had covered half of his son's face. He wondered what could have happened to cause him to wear that.

 

“Leckt, why does our son wear a mask?” Shujin asked. With a deep sigh, Aleckta told him why.

 

“When he was ten, Kurasame met his mate near the forest beside the house. He fled and Kurasame followed, getting lost and falling ill soon after. He could not bear to smell the scent of his mate if he could not be with him, so after meeting someone a few years later and thinking that he could smell them again, Kurasame requested that I make something to block any scents from reaching him.”

 

With a hum of understanding, Shujin debated his next move. He had a sneaking suspicion that his son was soul-mates with Ace, but how to get them together? Then he came up with an idea.

 

“Aleckta please bring Kurasame here to meet me,” Aleckta went to protest that Shujin should come home to meet their ailing son, but Shujin interrupted her.

 

“As much as I want to go home to see him, I have to meet with Ace. He has been wasting as of late and I need to keep an eye on him as he is under my care.”

 

Aleckta perked up at the name Ace, the mention of him also experiencing the Wasting confirming her earlier thoughts, and instantly agreed to bring Kurasame back here.

 

“Oh, and make sure he doesn't wear that mask would you?”

 

With a last smile and a kiss, Aleckta parted from her mate briefly to collect her son.

 

It took everything that Aleckta had to drag her son from their house, and she had had to almost tear the mask from his face as he did not want to remove it. In the end she had begged and stated that his father wanted to see him without the mask on, and really what harm could befall him in the time they were out?

 

The closer they drew to the school, the more Kurasame swore he could smell the sweet scent of jasmine and honey filling the air. However this time the scent also seemed to hold bitter undertones to it, as though something had happened to sour the scent. As unwilling as he was to find out just who it was that was pouring out this smell, Kurasame could not stop himself from increasing his pace as they neared the gates.

 

In the courtyard stood a familiar hooded figure. Kurasame remembered him from when he had delivered Ace's last letter to him, and deep down he felt a primal recognition that this was his father, but his attention was captured by the even more familiar sight of the blonde elf sitting beside him on the lip of the fountain.

 

Ace looked terrible. It had been over half a century since he had last seen the other, but in that time Ace had lost enough weight to look almost like a walking skeleton. His clear blue eyes were dulled and sunken, their shine gone, his once bright hair looked almost as though the colour had been leached from it. His once smiling mouth was set, the corners tilting downwards in a semi permanent frown instead of the little smirks and grins Kurasame was used to seeing.

 

It was only as he drew closer, pulled as though by an invisible thread, that Kurasame realised that the honey, jasmine, bitter smell was coming from Ace. Abruptly Kurasame stopped walking, managing to draw Ace's attention. He sat up with a gasp the bitterness in his scent intensifying, and his frail body toppled towards the water before Kurasame launched forward to catch him before he fell. Shocks of electricity raced across Ace's bare arms and Kurasame's hands racing towards their hearts and managing to eradicate the bitterness from Ace's scent.

 

“It's you” Kurasame breathed. “You're my mate!”

 

Kurasame's sense of wonderment disappeared when he realised that not only had Ace realised that they were mates, but he had rejected him – twice.

 

“You rejected me.”

 

His voice was as cold as a glacier, and it caused Ace to flinch away from him, stumbling as Kurasame abruptly let him go. Shujin reached out quickly to catch the young elf before he could fall, and Kurasame growled at his father for touching his mate. Once he had settled Ace firmly on his feet once again, Shujin held his hands up as a sign of peace towards his son.

 

Kurasame continued to glare at the elf before him, his soul-mate, eyes demanding an explanation.

 

“Perhaps you could take Kurasame to your room Ace?” Shujin suggested quietly. Ace nodded silently, never once looking up at his mate, and gestured for Kurasame to follow him.

 

“Kurasame, son...” Shujin's voice called out as he turned to follow. “Don't be too hard on him. I feel there are reasons why he has done what he did, and they were not what you are probably thinking either. Be gentle with him son, he is only eighteen after all.”

 

Kurasame motioned that he had heard, before following Ace once again. It was only minutes later that it registered in his mind that his father had said that Ace was only eighteen. Hadn't they been meeting for over two hundred years? Had he not seen an unchanged Ace when he himself had been but ten years old? Ace had said that elves stopped aging at twenty five, so how had he not changed at all in all the time that he had known him. Kurasame had a feeling that this might have been tied in with the reasons that his father had been hinting at.

 

Following Ace into his room, Kurasame leant against the door unwilling to be closer to him lest he lose control of his instincts and try to claim him. He also noticed that the bitterness in Ace's scent had returned, and with each passing moment, it grew stronger and stronger.

 

“Would you care to explain to me what is going on? And why you rejected me, not once but twice?” Kurasame asked with feigned calm.

 

Ace jumped at the sound of Kurasame's voice, fingers nervously playing in his lap. Clear blue eyes flashed briefly towards Kurasame before they fell once again to stare at their owners lap.

 

“I er, the first time you saw me I didn't know it was you.” Ace began hesitantly. “It was the first time that Shujin had sent me through the portal, and he told me not to be caught by any of the locals. So when you came running out of your house, I panicked and ran away until I was pulled back here.”

 

Kurasame nodded in understanding, that made sense in the scheme of things, and he wouldn't hold that against Ace as he had not done so maliciously nor on purpose.

 

“And after that?” He queried.

 

“I didn't know that you were my soul-mate until the last time we met. My...my senses seem to be linked to touch, and that was the first time that we had touched skin to skin since we met.”

 

Ace's voice trembled as he spoke, the pain behind his words plain for Kurasame to hear, and it only confused him more as to why he had abandoned him.

 

“When I realised that you were my soul-mate I was so happy, right up until I realised two things. One you had sworn off soul-mates since you had lost yours, me, earlier. And secondly, we weren't from the same time. I had found you, but I couldn't stay with you in the past and you couldn't come with me into the future.”

 

Even if he couldn't have stayed in the past with him, could he not have told Kurasame where to find him in the future? Kurasame voiced his thoughts aloud.

 

Ace sighed heavily, sadly.

 

“I have only been at this school for five years Kurasame. I have heard about Shujin's mate and his son Kurasame for years, have heard him lament the fact that his old house where he had hoped to find them once again had been abandoned – neither hide nor hair of either to be found. How was I to know where you were in this future? How could I ask you to meet me here when I didn't even know if you were still now? Or had not found another to spend your life with, you only mentioned that you couldn't mate, not that you couldn't have other lovers.”

 

Kurasame pulled himself away from the door and walked on silent feet towards Ace. Kneeling down before him, Kurasame used his hand to tilt Ace's chin up so that he could look into his eyes as he spoke.

 

“And why would I want to take another lover when I had you before me? Even when I didn't know that you were my soul-mate, you were the only person that I have ever wanted – the only one I _will_ ever want.”

 

Kurasame watched as Ace's eye grew wide at his words, saw moisture gather in the corners and slide down his cheeks. He used his thumbs to wipe his tears away and leant their foreheads together as he begged.

 

“Please Ace, won't you be mine? I have waited for nearly three centuries for you. Please don't reject me for a third time, I don't think I could survive that.”

 

Eyes closed, tears running freely down his face, Ace replied.

 

“Yes, yes I will be yours, if only you will be mine.”

 

“ _Always._ ” Kurasame's words were full of promise and love.

 

They held each other tightly, neither willing to let the other go lest they discover that this moment was but a dream. Kurasame's nose buried in the curve of Ace's neck, honey and jasmine flooding his senses, the bitterness long gone now. Little shocks of electricity soon turned into a milder tingle that swept over Ace's skin, his heart beating in time with Kurasame's.

 

Kurasame pulled back slightly to look down at Ace. Leaning forwards once again, Kurasame let their lips touch for the first time. The feeling of _home_ of _belonging_ slammed into both of them so hard that they gasped. A hole that they hadn't even realised they had in their hearts and soul, filled with the others' presence and for the first time the each felt whole.

 

This is all that Kurasame had ever wanted, no matter what he had told himself about not wanting his soul-mate, his ten year old self had cried out in denial. Old hurts were from soothed, but for now, in this moment, they were content. Whatever problems arose, they would deal with them, together. All except for....

 

“Wait are you really only eighteen?” Kurasame blurted out as Ace broke into helpless laughter nodding.

 

“Oh my gods I am practically robbing the cradle,” he moaned, as Ace covered his face in kisses.

 

“Too right, Old Man.” Ace replied mockingly.

 

Kurasame looked back at him with a look of mock outrage on his face, leaping to tackle Ace who fled laughing all the way.

 

Yes whatever the future held, they would always remain together.

 


End file.
